Mechanical fasteners where a male component provided with fastening hooks and a female component provided with fiber loops are engaged and fastened detachably can be used for disposable products such as disposable diapers. The use of these mechanical fasteners can facilitate removal of the disposable diaper and can provide appropriate fastening strength. Typically, the mechanical fastener comprises an engaging component and a female component. In some instances, the female component may comprise a nonwoven fabric.
Nonwoven fabrics provided with loops formed by entanglement of fibers based on needle punching, a heat-embossing finish, etc., have been proposed for the female component of the aforementioned mechanical fasteners. Traditionally, nonwoven fabrics have been formed into webs by means of needle punching, stitch bonding, and water-jet interweaving. Additionally, nonwoven fabrics can be formed into webs by thermally compressing the fibers by means of a heat-embossing finishing such loops are formed in the non-embossed sections between the thermally compressed, embossed sections. Also, a nonwoven fabric for use as the female component of a fastener can be formed where intermittent non-embossed sections are formed between continuous embossed sections.
It is important for the female component to have sufficient adhesive strength. For example, having a sufficient adhesive strength with the male component can reduce the likelihood of a peel strength reduction despite repeated fastening and unfastening with the male component. Furthermore, it is important to have sufficient mechanical strength in both the MD direction and CD direction. Also, in order to be used as a fastening component for articles that come in direct contact with the skin such as disposable diapers, incontinence products, and surgical wear, high bulkiness and a soft feel to the touch are desirable.
Typically, the primary purpose of the nonwoven fabric for use as the female component of a fastening system, is to increase the peel strength and prevent a reduction of the peel strength after repeated use. However, the nonwoven fabric for the female component of a fastening system having sufficient adhesive strength in all areas of peel strength, repeated peel strength and tension shear strength, and at the same time, having high mechanical strength in both the MD direction and CD direction as well as high bulkiness has not been known in the past.
Therefore a need exists for a nonwoven fabric having high bulkiness, and excellent softness and a nonwoven fabric laminate provided with water repellency and surface smoothness, along with adhesive strength and mechanical strength when used as the female component of the fastening system.